Helicopter retention plate hardware stand

Abstract

A standardized hardware stand for organizing the components and subcomponents of helicopter retention plates is provided. The hardware stand could be adapted to be distributed to all air stations so that a repeatable, teachable skill set can be developed, minimizing costly vibratory analysis, problematic clamp-up procedures, and other unnecessary additional maintenance during re-installation of the helicopter retention plates. The hardware stand includes a mock plate forming a plurality of mimicking holes and identifying marks, each dimensioned and adapted to match that of each retention plate maintained, and wherein the mock plate is perpendicularly and rotatably joined to an attachments stem.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A hardware stand for facilitating the maintenance of helicopter tail blade retention plates, comprising:
 an attachment stem;   a mock plate perpendicularly connected to the attachment stem; and   a plurality of mimicking holes formed in the mock plate, wherein the plurality of mimicking holes are dimensioned and adapted to match that of each retention plate maintained.   
     
     
         2 . The hardware stand of  claim 1 , wherein the mock plate is plus-shaped. 
     
     
         3 . The hardware stand of  claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of identifying marks along an upwardly facing surface of the mock plate. 
     
     
         4 . The hardware stand of  claim 3 , wherein the plurality of identifying marks are color coordinated to match that of each retention plate maintained. 
     
     
         5 . The hardware stand of  claim 1 , wherein the attachment stem is rotatably connected to the mock plate. 
     
     
         6 . The hardware stand of  claim 1 , further comprising a base perpendicularly connected to the attachment stem, on an opposing end as the mock plate. 
     
     
         7 . The hardware stand of  claim 6 , wherein the base is rotatably connected to the mock plate. 
     
     
         8 . The hardware stand of  claim 6 , further comprising a supporting surface along a portion of the base. 
     
     
         9 . The hardware stand of  claim 6 , further comprising knurling along a portion of a length of the attachment stem. 
     
     
         10 . A hardware stand for facilitating the maintenance of helicopter tail blade retention plates, comprising:
 an attachment stem having knurling along a portion thereof;   a plus-shaped mock plate perpendicularly and rotatably connected to the attachment stem;   a plurality of mimicking holes formed in the mock plate, wherein the plurality of mimicking holes are dimensioned and adapted to match that of each retention plate maintained;   a plurality of identifying marks along an upwardly facing surface of the mock plate, wherein the plurality of identifying marks are color coordinated to match that of each retention plate maintained;   a base perpendicularly and rotatably connected to the attachment stem, on an opposing end as the mock plate; and   a supporting surface along a portion of the base.